November 3rd is National Sandwich Day and to celebrate with the rest of the country’s sandwich lovers, you should plan your deliciousness-between-two- slices-of-bread accordingly. Regionally speaking, New Yorkers have their pastrami on rye. Philadelphians will be drooling over Philly cheesesteaks, and po’ boys will be flying off diner counters like hotcakes down in New Orleans. In Springfield, Illinois, however, the horseshoe is the only way to celebrate National Sandwich Day.

In 1928, the first horseshoe sandwich was served at Springfield’s Leland Hotel. The sandwich initially featured a thin slice of ham that was cut from a bone-in ham in the shape of a horseshoe. The hotel served its open-faced sandwich on a metal plate it called an “anvil” and topped it with potato wedges to represent the horseshoe nails and a Welsh rarebit cheese sauce made from white sharp cheddar. If you’re celebrating National Sandwich Day at home, you may want to opt for this original version.
But who actually invented this cheesy goodness? Many sources say that ‘Chef” Steve Tomko invented the horseshoe sandwich, but local foodies in the know decry Tomko’s claim. In 1928, Tomko was a dishwasher at the celebrated Springfield hotel—not a chef. The real inventor of the horseshoe appears to be Leland Hotel Chef Joe Schweska. After leaving the hotel, he brought his horseshoe with him to the Red Coach Inn. From there, the horseshoe’s popularity began to spread throughout the city.
